Features

The world’s oldest automotive expo event consistently held in one city since 1898, the biennial Paris Motor Show, or Mondial de l’Automobile, is, along with Frankfurt, Geneva and Detroit, among the most important dates on the motoring calendar. First organised by French automotive pioneer Jules-Albert de Dion, the Paris show has hosted countless historical automotive debuts of the most stylish, innovative and important cars.

A showcase event for automobile manufacturers, Paris is particularly important for French makers. While French brands certainly pulled their weight this year, the Paris event — in the absence of a high profile British motor show in recent years — also played host to two important British car debuts this year.

Though unveiled at a special London event less than a month ago, the Jaguar XE was a highlight of the Paris event during its first European and global motor show outing, where full details were disclosed. A stylishly dramatic and high tech follow-up to the F-Type sports car halo model, the XE is Jaguar’s most accessible and mainstream offering, and the first junior executive Jag since the classically-styled X-Type ceased production in 2009. 

Utilising lightweight aluminium construction, sporty but supple suspension and high tech infotainment and driving aids, the XE is a major milestone for the quintessential British luxury brand and introduced a new in-house developed four-cylinder engine.

Perhaps even more important for the Jaguar Land Rover group than the stunning XE is the Land Rover Discovery Sport compact premium SUV. Unveiled at a press event on the eve of the Paris show, the Discovery Sport was driven out by British fashion model Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley on a barge on the river Seine with a background of seven colourfully oversized waterproof wellie boots to highlight its off-road ability, 600mm wading depth and seven-seat capacity. 

The first of three Discovery family Land Rovers, the Discovery Sport is a practical and premium but not “precious” vehicle intended to offer high levels of versatility, safety, refinement and ability, with extensive infotainment and safety features.

A big day for French car makers, the Paris motor show featured an extensive display by Peugeot, with an updated Exalt luxury saloon and aggressive Quartz MPV-SUV crossover hybrid concepts showcasing the brand’s future design direction.

However, Peugeot’s 208 GTI 30th Anniversary was among the show’s most interesting cars, with a mild power boost, two tone paint and limited slip differential to celebrate its iconic 205 GTI ancestor. Sister brand Citroen unveiled a new standalone luxury DS brand and Divine DS concept car to set the tone for the new brand’s sophisticated technology ethos. Over at Renault, a chic and futuristic new incarnation of the iconic Espace MPV took centre stage.

Not to be outdone in the supermodel and glitz stakes, Claudia Schiffer was at hand to introduce the new Corsa city car at the Opel stand, but the sexiest sports cars launched in Paris included the curvy, lightweight and long-awaited enthusiast favourite Mazda MX-5 drop-top.

No international motor show would be complete without a bevy of high tech and glamorous sports and super cars, and also included Lamborghini’s most stylish design in recent years in the form of the 897BHP four-wheel-drive hybrid Asterion LP1-910 concept, while at the other end of the scale, the radical Volkswagen XL Sport featured a lightweight body and powerful high-revving Ducati motorcycle engine.

Of production cars in Paris, Mercedes-Benz’ new smaller flagship AMG GT sports car and Volvo’s elegantly futuristic and safe high tech XC90 SUV were standouts, while the Ferrari 458 Speciale A could soon be a classic if Ferrari switch from natural-aspiration to turbocharging for their next mid-engine V8 model. A contemporary auto expo mainstay, hybrids were well-represented with the luxuriously chic Infiniti Q80 Inspiration prominent.

Common sense enthusiast favourites, hot hatches were present in force, with the top-end including the latest concept version of the upcoming Honda Civic Type R and the Nissan Pulsar Nismo concept. Compact production hot hatches included the Volkswagen Polo GTI and Opel Adam S.

Production car highlights

Jaguar XE

Jaguar’s compact executive saloon comeback, the XE’s is urgent, athletic and elegant, with hints of F-Type sports car. With stiff lightweight aluminium construction and sophisticated suspension, the XE promises ride refinement and handling ability, while its luxuriously appointed cabin boasts advanced infotainment systems. The range-topping three-litre supercharged V6 S version develops 335BHP and delivers 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. High tech semi-autonomous driver assists even include an electronic Land Rover-derived system for low traction.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

The first of a planned three-model Land Rover Discovery range, the Discovery Sport compact SUV is practical but premium with on-road finesse and class-leading off-road ability. Resembling more luxurious Range Rover models, the Discovery Sport’s design is however characterised by its reverse-angled C-pillar. Versatile, spacious and practical, it also features clever infotainment and semi-autonomous driving technologies.

Mazda MX-5

The world’s best-selling sports car, the Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight, affordable, reliable and great handling car. Long awaited, the fourth generation is a lighter and smaller car than its predecessor. Noticeably more aggressive the fourth generation MX-5’s curvaceously evocative styling is stretched over a lightweight chassis with sophisticated front double wishbones and a sporty front-mid engine rear-drive layout.

Mercedes-Benz
AMG GT Edition 1

Successor to the dramatic gull-winged SLS-Class, the smaller Mercedes GT takes aim at Jaguar F-Type territory, with athletically curvy cabin-back design and conventional doors. In Edition 1 trim with fixed wing and more aggressive detailing as unveiled in Paris, the GT’s smaller four-litre twin-turbo V8 engine develops 503BHP and 478lb/ft, and accelerates to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds.

Volvo XC90

Well worth the wait, the long-anticipated high tech second generation Volvo XC90 SUV highlights the Swedish brand’s sophisticated new design language, luxuriously minimalist interiors and versatile platform. Packed with efficiency- and safety-minded technology, the XC90 various semi-autonomous driving assists bring Volvo closer to an ambitious target of zero fatalities in its vehicles by 2020.

Concept car highlights

Volkswagen XL Sport

Built on the lightweight ultra-efficient high tech Volkswagen XL-1 road car’s frame, the XL Sport concept is powered by a 1.2-litre V2 engine borrowed from the Volkswagen group’s recently acquired Ducati motorcycles. Volkswagen’s 200-millionth car, the 268km/h XL Sport features wider tracks for better stability and develops 197BHP at 11,000rpm, while 0-100km/h is achieved in 5.7 seconds.

Peugeot Exalt

Unveiled earlier this year, the long, low and elegantly athletic Exalt is revised for its Paris debut. Peugeot’s futuristic large saloon now features shades of grey bare metal bodywork and aerodynamic “Shark Skin” textiles. Eco-friendly, the 335BHP hybrid luxury saloon features recycled business newspaper salmon-pink wood trim and leather trim incorporating natural flaws. Housed under the boot, an electric scooter adds versatility for congested city streets.

Divine DS (Citroen)

Recently separated from Citroen as a standalone prestige brand, DS’ first concept showcases the brand’s design direction and technology with sophistication ethos. Neither based on existing nor previewing future cars, the Divine DS sets the tone for a future six-car range, with diamond-pattern grille and luxurious interiors, utilising combinations of carbon fibre, leather and Swarovski crystal fabric.

Infiniti Q80 Inspiration

Long, low, streamlined and stylish, the high tech Infiniti Q80 hybrid is a luxury four-door coupe expected to make production with few alterations by 2020. Boasting a 450BHP twin-turbo three-litre V6 and 100BHP electric motor, the Q80’s nine-speed gearbox can automatically engage four-wheel drive while advanced autonomous driving technology assists in traffic or on motorways.

Lamborghini Asterion LP1-910

With Lamborghini’s bull-themed names, the Asterion hybrid supercar is aptly named after a mythical half-man half-bull Minataur hybrid. With gorgeous lines harking to the Miura and Jalpa rather than aggressive contemporary Lamborghinis, the Asterion’s mid-mounted 5.2-litre 602BHP V10 engine is supplemented by three electric motors. With 897BHP combined and four-wheel drive, the fully functional drive line might however see production in a Lamborghini SUV. 

CHIBA, Japan — Glasses that tell you how to get home, adverts that know where you are looking and a T-shirt that knows how fast your heart is beating were on display at a huge tech gathering in Japan Tuesday.

The gadgets were all part of this year’s Cutting-Edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition (CEATEC), Asia’s largest electronics fair, just outside Tokyo.

Leading the pack was a tiny projection device that can be attached to a pair of glasses to give the wearer an ever-visible screen.

The prototype — dubbed Toshiba Glass and weighing 42 grammes — might offer directions or a simultaneous translation, or could assist factory workers who need both hands free while working, a Toshiba researcher said.

“We still don’t know what wearable formats will be the most accepted in the future,” said Toshiba senior research scientist Yoshiyuki Kokojima.

“Constantly seeing a small screen may get tiring to the eyes, but you could get information without even lifting a finger. It’s less effort than consulting a wrist watch.”

Leading mobile carrier NTT Docomo was showcasing a T-shirt that uses a special textile to keep track of the wearer’s pulse.

The data is transmitted to a smartphone, which must run a specific app, the company said.

While Docomo’s offering might have concentrated on health, Fujitsu unveiled something to encourage a bit more relaxation, in the form of a device that could help a barman read his customers’ minds.

Small sensors in a bar track where a drinker is looking and automatically offer information on screens about that bottle of expensive wine he keeps gazing at — such as where it comes from and what year it is.

“This could be one way of marketing in the future,” said Fujitsu spokesman Naoki Mishiro.

NTT Docomo’s Yubi Navi might prove useful for customers struggling to find their way home after a night at such an accommodating bar.

Billed as “just like holding someone’s hand”, the small rubber cuboid fits snugly in the palm and buzzes or vibrates to guide the user through unfamiliar streets.

The kit offers freedom from the tyranny of having to keep your eyes glued to a smartphone for directions, the company said.

After a user types in the intended address on their connected phone, the device takes over, nudging left or right until the destination hoves into view.

Its inventors say the Yubi Navi also offers a way to communicate with someone who is far away, effectively “squeezing” their hand by activating your own device.

“Touch sensation can create a new type of gadget for the future,” an NTT Docomo presenter said.

Nearly 550 companies are taking part in the trade show, which has gathered foreign exhibitors from 24 countries and territories.

The show runs until Saturday.

The latest addition to Peugeot’s award-winning and recently launched second generation 308 family hatchback and estate range, the 1.2-litre PureTech 130 is the most powerful of three petrol three-cylinder engines designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without sacrificing performance. 

Characterised by its abundant mid-range torque for such a tiny power plant, the PureTech 130 is especially well-suited to the elegant SW estate version of the 308, and its generous cargo capacity. Driven in manual gearbox guise at a recent launch event in Mallorca, Spain, the 308 SW 1.2 PureTech 130 is a refined, stylish, practical, reassuring, agile, brisk and sensible contemporary family car.

Elegant estate

Launched earlier this year at the Geneva motor show, the 308 SW is the more practical, stable and arguably better looking estate sister to the 308 hatchback introduced late last year. Given their shared rear tailgate style, the 308 SW is essentially a stretched version of the 308 hatchback, with its additional 332mm length divided between a 110mm longer wheelbase providing extra rear seat space and a 222mm longer rear overhang for a more accommodating boot.

The longer wheelbase also allows a wider door for improved rear access and better road grip, while profile aesthetic benefits from the use of three similarly sized windows.

Classy and compact, the 308 SW’s elongated profile is tightly penned but has a more elegantly flowing design to its rook and flanks. With a refined front fascia featuring a chrome-ringed two-slat grille, the 308 SW’s lion emblem sits in a concave groove on its bonnet, while its moody headlights feature a slight lower indentation. 

An LED strip reflects the trapezoidal grille’s angle and tapers off to a side crease that runs through the door handles and to a metallic strip carved through the wraparound rear lights. A gently descending roofline and large 225/45R17 footwear lend a sporty and eager demeanour and road stance.

Tri-cylinder turbo

Offered in naturally aspirated 81BHP and 109BHP and 129BHP turbocharged versions, Peugeot’s new 1.2 litre three cylinder PureTech engine is a more efficient engine than the previous generation 308’s 1.6 litre naturally aspirated four cylinder engine. More powerful and torqueier in turbo versions as well, the more powerful version driven develops 129BHP at 5,500rpm and
170lb/ft torque throughout 1,750-3,500rpm.

Prodigious for its small displacement, the PureTech 130’s torque output is just 7lb/ft shy of Peugeot’s larger 1.6 litre turbocharged THP 165, and allows for effortless load lugging, flexible mid-range operation and relaxed motorway cruising, while returning frugal 5L/100km fuel efficiency and 115g/km carbon dioxide emissions with the beefier 225/45R17 tyres as tested.

With little low-end turbo lag, a generous mid-range and eager to be revved character, the 308 SW three-pot turbo engine carries its 1,190kg frame from standstill to 100km/h in 10.6-seconds — as tested — and onto 199km/h, while mid-range flexibility allows for 11.5 second 80-120km/h acceleration in fifth gear. 

As smooth and refined as three-cylinder engines come, the 1.2 PureTech feature a balancer shaft to reduce the three-cylinder configuration’s inherent vibrations. Welling up from around 2,000rpm, the 308 PureTech 130 is in its stride by 2,500rpm, brisk by 3,000rpm and with a distinctive but muted three-cylinder growl, is willing to be thrashed right to its redline.

Supple and smooth

Mated to a satisfyingly mechanical feeling six speed gearbox clicking precisely into gear and with light but intuitive clutch, the prodigious three-pot Pug is fun and brisk in real-world driving. With a smaller and lighter engine over its driven front wheels, the 308 SW PureTech is eager, light and crisp into corners, with less understeer and less pronounced weight transfer.

Tidy into corners, the 308’s electric-assisted rack and pinion steering delivers decent road feel and feedback. Body lean isn’t particularly pronounced, but with its sticky tyres, reassuring chassis characteristics and longer wheelbase, the 308 SW grips harder and is more stable through corners than its hatchback sister.

A smooth and refined ride, the 308 SW is well insulated inside and even with the second largest alloy wheel option, is supple and forgiving over broken roads, cracks and bumps. More stable and grippier than its hatchback sister, the 308 SW is reassuring at speed, whether straight or sweeping corners, and settles with taut composure on rebound from undulations.

Being a family hatchback derived estate with a light engine, the 308 SW is also surprisingly agile and nippy for a vehicle with such a high cargo carrying capacity. Some 140kg lighter than its predecessor, the 308 SW is poised, eager and tidy through countryside switchbacks and is manoeuvrable in town.

Cavernous cabin

The most accommodating in its segment and more generous than many larger cars, the 308 SW’s cavernous load bay takes a minimum 660-litre volume, which with flat 60:40 split-folding rear seats down, expands to 1,775 litres when loaded to the roof. 

Practical and spacious, the 308 SW’s tailgate is wide and its load floor low for easy loading, while a centre ski hatch accommodates long objects without folding the rear seats. The 308 SW features under-floor storage, space saver spare tyre, load floor rails with movable latching points to secure cargo and well-sized main console storage and glove boxes — however, other console storage space is limited.

Classier than many rivals, the 308’s uncluttered cabin has a stylishly minimalist ambiance, with most functions controlled through its intuitive infotainment touchscreen. With tasteful and good quality fit, finish textures and colours, the 308 feels a cut above expectation.

Seats are supportive, adjustable and comfortable, and visibility is good. One peers at the instrument panel over a chic small steering wheel for better road view, but for larger drivers, a conventional steering position might be preferable when driving through brisk switchbacks. Rear seat space is also decent, but rear headspace would be better still for tall occupants without the optional and airy feeling panoramic sunroof.

Driven in second to top Allure spec, the 308 SW featured electric folding mirrors, reversing camera and front parking sensors, LED headlamps, front foglights and optional panoramic sunroof and keyless entry. 

Other features standard to the Allure include Bluetooth and USB connectivity, rear arm rest, all-round three-point seatbelts, rear Isofix childseat latches, 9.7-inch (24.64cm) touchscreen, dual zone climate control, lumbar support, satnav, leather steering and gear knob, stability and traction control and electric handbrake. 

Available optional equipment includes leather massage seats, a city park system with blind spot monitoring, driver assistance pack with dynamic cruise control and emergency collision warning and braking systems, among other options.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.2 litre, turbocharged, transverse 3 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 75 x 90.5mm

Valve-train: 12 valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 6 speed manual, front-wheel drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 129 (130) [96] @ 5500rpm

Specific power: 106.7BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 107.5BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 170 (230) @ 1,750-3,500rpm

Specific torque: 191.8Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 193.2Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 10.6 seconds

80-120kmh, 5th/6th gear: 11.5-/14-seconds

Maximum speed: 199km/h

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined: 6.2-/4.3-/5 litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 115g/km

Fuel tank: 53 litres

Length: 4,585mm

Width: 1,804mm

Height: 1,471mm

Wheelbase: 2,730mm

Track, F/R: 1,559/1,553mm

Overhang, F/R: 863/992mm

Boot capacity, min/max: 660/1,775 litres

Kerb weight: 1,190kg

Steering: Electric assisted rack and pinion

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/torsion bar

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/discs

Tyres, F/R: 225/45R17

Shocks are always easier to survive if you are prepared. So be prepared, there’s a new Windows around the corner. It is supposed to win over all those who never really got along with Windows 8 and who are holding on as hard as they can to Windows 7.

Of course it is no surprise; a successor to Windows 8 is something you would logically expect, sooner or later. So where’s the shock?

It is essentially in the surprise factor. What on earth is Microsoft going to put into the newcomer this time to make it different? That newcomer has first been referred to as Windows 9 by users, unofficially of course. Then it has been code-named Threshold. A last update refers to it as Windows 10.

Consumers have mixed feelings. On one hand they anticipate a user interface that will be friendlier than Windows 8, but on the other hand there are fears that Microsoft may “force” the cloud element, one way or another. In other words the user will — well, just maybe — have few options as to use or not to use the cloud for parts of the system. What parts exactly and how much of that — that is the question.

Despite an unquestionable and steady increase in global cloud usage over the past 12 to 18 months, and the fact that consumers have learnt to trust the system a bit more with time, there are still parts in each and everyone’s work that we’d like to keep offline. Or at least we’d like to have the choice to go cloud or to stay local. Will Windows Threshold leave us the choice?

Various blogs on the web tell various stories. Some say that the entire concept may be turned upside down, and our world with it, and that Windows will simply become a web-based service! I have decided not to panic and to wait and see. I am as incredulous as Saint Thomas; I have to see it for myself before believing.

All technical specifications, functionality and features aside, Windows users expect Microsoft to reassure them this time, not to revolutionise the system. It’s psychological, not technical anymore.

Windows remains a major operating system in the world, despite forays by Linux and of course the undeniable presence of Apple’s Mac OS. Moreover, Windows Mobile has reclaimed a non-negligible share of the market thanks to beautifully designed Windows smartphones (HTC, Nokia). It would be wise and smart to strengthen this success and not to jeopardise it now — I’d say it’s a critical point, strategically speaking.

Shock or not, old habits die hard and the vast majority of Windows users are anticipating the birth of the new baby, some anxiously, others peacefully.

No official date has been announced yet for the official release. It was first expected to happen in a year from now, around October 2015. Recent blog activity indicates that it may actually take place a bit earlier. Again, it’s a wait-and-see game, the kind that Microsoft has taught us how to play years ago.

WASHINGTON — A declining sense of smell in older people is a strong predictor of death within just five years, according to research published Wednesday.

Thirty-nine per cent of study subjects who failed a simple smelling test died during that period, compared to 19 per cent of those with moderate smell loss and just 10 per cent of those with a healthy sense of smell, the journal PLOS ONE reported.

The hazards of smell loss were “strikingly robust”, according to researchers, who said that olfactory dysfunction was better at predicting mortality than a diagnosis of heart failure, cancer or lung disease.

Only severe liver damage was a more powerful predictor of death, they said.

“We think loss of the sense of smell is like the canary in the coal mine,” said the study’s lead author Jayant Pinto, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago.

“It doesn’t directly cause death, but it’s a harbinger, an early warning that something has gone badly wrong, that damage has been done.

“Our findings could provide a useful clinical test, a quick and inexpensive way to identify patients most at risk.”

Precisely how sense of smell loss relates to mortality is unclear.

“Obviously, people don’t die just because their olfactory system is damaged,” said Martha McClintock, the study’s senior author.

Pinto added: “Of all human senses, smell is the most undervalued and underappreciated — until it’s gone.”

The study was part of the National Social Life, Health and Ageing Project (NSHAP), the first in-home study of social relationships and health in a large, nationally representative sample of men and women ages 57 to 85.

In the first wave of the NSHAP, conducted in 2005-2006, professional survey teams from the National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago used a well-validated test for a field survey of 3,005 participants.

It measured their ability to identify five distinct common odours.

In the second wave, during 2010-2011, the survey team confirmed which participants were still alive. During that five-year gap, 430 (12.5 per cent) of the original 3,005 study subjects had died and 2,565 were still alive.

SINGAPORE — When popular Chinese handset maker Xiaomi Inc. admitted that its devices were sending users’ personal information back to a server in China, it prompted howls of protest and an investigation by Taiwan’s government.

The affair has also drawn attention to just how little we know about what happens between our smartphone and the outside world. In short: It might be in your pocket, but you don’t call the shots.

As long as a device is switched on, it could be communicating with at least three different masters: the company that built it, the telephone company it connects to, and the developers of any third party applications you installed on the device — or were pre-installed before you bought it.

All these companies could have programmed the device to send data “back home” to them over a wireless or cellular network — with or without the user’s knowledge or consent. In Xiaomi’s case, as soon as a user booted up their device it started sending personal data “back home”.

This, Xiaomi said, was to allow users to send SMS messages without having to pay operator charges by routing the messages through Xiaomi’s servers. To do that, the company said, it needed to know the contents of users’ address books.

“What Xiaomi did originally was clearly wrong: They were collecting your address book and sending it to themselves without you ever agreeing to it,” said Mikko Hypponen, whose computer security company F-Secure helped uncover the problem. “What’s more, it was sent unencrypted.”

Xiaomi has said it since fixed the problem by seeking users’ permission first, and only sending data over encrypted connections, he noted.

Industry issue

Xiaomi is by no means alone in grabbing data from your phone as soon as you switch it on.

A cellular operator may collect data from you, ostensibly to improve how you set up your phone for the first time, says Bryce Boland, Asia Pacific chief technology officer at FireEye, an Internet security firm. Handset makers, he said, may also be collecting information, from your location to how long it takes you to set up the phone.

“It’s not that it’s specific to any handset maker or telco,” said Boland. “It’s more of an industry problem, where organisations are taking steps to collect data they can use for a variety of purposes, which may be legitimate but potentially also have some privacy concerns.”

Many carriers, for example, include in their terms of service the right to collect personal data about the device, computer and online activities — including what web sites users visit. One case study by Hewlett-Packard and Qosmos, a French internet security company, was able to track individual devices to, for example, identify how many Facebook messages a user sent. The goal: using all this data to pitch users highly personalised advertising.

But some users fear it’s not just the carriers collecting such detailed data.

Three years ago, users were alarmed to hear that US carriers pre-installed an app from a company called Carrier IQ that appeared to transmit personal data to the carrier.

Users filed a class-action lawsuit, not against the carriers but against handset makers including HTC Corp., Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics which, they say, used the software to go beyond collecting diagnostic data the carriers needed.

The suit alleges the handset firms used the Carrier IQ software to intercept private information for themselves, including recording users’ e-mail and text messages without their permission — data the users claim may also have been shared with third parties. The companies are contesting the case.

And then there are the apps that users install. Each requires your permission to be able to access data or functions on your device — the microphone, say, if you want that device to record audio, or locational data if you want it to provide suggestions about nearby restaurants.

Shedding some light

But it isn’t always easy for a user to figure out just what information or functions are being accessed, what data is then being sent back to the developers’ servers — and what happens to that data once it gets there. Bitdefender, a Romania-based antivirus manufacturer, found last year that one in three of Android smartphone apps upload personal information to “third party companies, without specifically letting you know”.

Not only is this hidden from the user, it’s often unrelated to the app’s purpose.

Take for example, an Android app that turns your device into a torch by turning on all its lights — from the camera flash to the keyboard backlight. When users complained about it also sending location-based data, the US Federal Trade Commission forced the app’s Idaho-based developer to make clear the free app was also collecting data so it could target users with location-specific ads. Even so, the app has been installed more than 50 million times and has overwhelmingly positive user reviews.

While most concerns are about phones running Android, Apple Inc.’s devices aren’t free from privacy concerns.

Carriers control the code on the SIM, for example, and this is one possible way to access data on the phone. And, despite stricter controls over apps in Apple’s app store, FireEye’s Boland says his company continues to find malicious apps for the iOS platform, and apps that send sensitive data without the user knowing. “The iPhone platform is more secure than the Android platform, but it’s certainly not perfect,” he said.

Apple says its iOS protects users’ data by ensuring apps are digitally signed and verified by Apple’s own security system.

Back in the driving seat

The problem, then, often isn’t about whether handset makers, app developers and phone companies are grabbing data from your phone, but what kind of data, when and for what.

“If we look at the content sent by many apps it’s mindboggling how much is actually sent,” said Boland. “It’s impossible for someone to really know whether something is good or bad unless they know the context.”

Handset makers need to be clear with users about what they’re doing and why, said Carl Pei, director at OnePlus, a Shenzhen, China-based upstart rival to Xiaomi. OnePlus collects “anonymous statistical information” such as where a phone is activated, the model and the version of software that runs on it, Pei said, which helps them make better decisions about servicing customers and where to focus production.

Unlike Xiaomi, Pei said, OnePlus’ servers are based in the United States, which in the light of recent privacy concerns, he said, “gives people greater peace of mind than having them based out of China”.

That peace of mind may be elusive as long as there’s money to be made, says David Rogers, who teaches mobile systems security at the University of Oxford and chairs the Device Security Group at the GSMA, a global mobile industry trade association.

“Users are often sacrificed to very poor security design and a lack of consideration for privacy,” he said. “At the same time, taking user data is part of a profit model for many corporations so they don’t make it easy for users to prevent what is essentially data theft.”

I was never a very athletic sort of individual. Let us just say that the physical education coach was my least favourite person in school. I could run the occasional race and swim several lengths of the pool, but that was just about it. 

The tennis racquet gave me wrist cramps; I could not dribble the basketball; the cricket bat was too heavy for me to swing; and as for the hockey stick, I always kept it as a deterrent for the unwanted intruders in my house. Golf involved waking up at the crack of dawn, so that was a game I did not even consider learning. Sacrificing my sleep was a sacrilege I could not bring myself to commit to. 

My parents tried. To get me to be sporty, that is. They bought me roller skates, a bicycle, jogging shoes, et al. Alright, if truth be told, the cycle and the skates were hand-me-downs from my older brother and were in pretty bad shape when they were passed on to me, but that is not the point. The fact is that I could not even balance myself on these, let alone use them to participate in a competition. 

After several trials and a permanent case of bruised knees and elbows that never seemed to heal, I was left alone with my books. My father, thinking I might suffer from low self-esteem issues, encouraged me to participate in quizzes, musical performances and debates, instead. 

I did pretty okay in those, but the anxiety of not being able to play any of the sporty games never really left me. When I was much older, I did the next best thing. I wrote about them. I covered cricket, golf, and of all things, boxing. I interviewed the touring golfers, cricketers and boxers in Johannesburg, got a glimpse into their lives, which I then presented to the readers. What I learned from them was the magnanimity of heart that all of them had, universally. It is also called the “sporting spirit”, and I had the good fortune of witnessing it first hand. 

With the advent of the computers came a different set of games. Aimed at children and adults alike, these computerised matches had the addicts hooked onto their technical devices for hours on end. Often violent, involving car chases and imploding buildings, it was not suitable for anyone who was squeamish about blood and gore. The relish with which some kids went about playing them concerned me no end. Other things remaining the same, they may just become apathetic towards other people’s suffering, was what I worried about. 

A few companies had digitally introduced some new, so-called entertainment, on social networking sites also. While browsing online on Facebook, suddenly you got a request to play “Angry Birds” or “Candy Crush” games. 

Now, it was not easy to ignore these entreaties because they came at you relentlessly, sometimes at the rate of one every five minutes. 

When I got the hundredth invite within a space of a few hours this morning I knew I needed help. 

“What is this candy saga?” I asked my nephew. 

“Story of Tiffi and Toffee,” he replied. 

“They get squashed?” I wanted to know.

“The game requests will squash your brains,” he laughed. 

“How do I stop becoming a crushee?” I asked. 

“Block the crusher,” he suggested. 

“I can’t do that,” I was horrified. 

“Crush or be crushed,” he announced. 

“Profound! Ok done,” I declared.

Los Angeles Times (MCT)

Pancreatic cancer is nasty, sneaky and nearly impervious to the effects of chemotherapy, and its dispiriting five-year survival rate of 6 per cent has budged not at all in decades. But researchers at the Salk Institute in California reported this week that they have found a way to unmask this stone-cold killer and render it vulnerable to standard cancer treatments.

Using a chemically modified version of vitamin D, the Salk scientists appear to have kicked open the doors to the vault within which pancreatic tumours flourish — in mice, at least. That exposes this most inexorable of cancers to the tender mercies not only of the immune system, but of chemotherapy as well.

In mice with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the addition of this vitamin D analog, called Calcipotriol, to chemotherapy prolonged survival by 57 per cent over chemotherapy alone. Treated with a regimen of the cancer drug gemcitabine-plus-Calcipotriol, almost three in 10 of the mice in their experiments were considered “long-term” survivors: They lived an average of 53 days after treatment began, three to four times longer than those who got gemcitabine alone.

In the realm of pancreatic cancer research, that’s a first, said Salk Institute researcher Ronald Evans, senior author of the study, published in Cell this week. In research involving other types of cancers, the appearance of long-term survivors is “a sign you’re on the right track,” said Evans.

Even before the publication of the Salk team’s discovery, the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead to human trials on the Calcipotriol-plus-chemotherapy approach to treating pancreatic cancer. Early human trials to flesh out the safety and dosages of the adjuvant to cancer therapy are under way at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix.

The Salk team’s approach to attacking hard-to-reach cancers is novel. Instead of attacking cancer cells themselves, or trying to destroy the complex of supportive structure that grows up around a tumour, Evans said, his lab has looked for ways to genetically reprogramme the microenvironment within which tumour cells grow unchecked.

In pancreatic cancer, that has meant finding a way to get the tumour to shed the “invisibility cloak” that grows up around it and makes it invisible to the immune system and immune to the effects of chemotherapy medicines.

The pancreas’ evolved response to injury or infection, the activation of these pancreatic stellate cells is useful in walling off bacteria or dying tissue and limiting its damage. But when these cells build a wall around a tumour, they provide it everything it needs to grow as well as protect it from immune cells or chemotherapy medicine.

Researchers have long believed that vitamin D might be the key to inactivating the pancreas’ stellate cells, but previous efforts have failed because even a diseased pancreas was highly effective at breaking down this fat-soluble vitamin. Evans’ team was convinced that vitamin D indeed held the key to reprogramming the environment that sustained pancreatic tumours; they just had to find an analog of the vitamin that could not be dismantled by the pancreas.

Calcipotriol was that variant.

Evans said his team is hopeful that the unique approach to cancer-fighting that is at the heart of the latest research — to genetically reprogramme the microenvironment within which tumour cells grow unchecked — will be useful in a wide range of cancers.

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft on Tuesday offered its first glimpse of its Windows 10 software that it hopes delivers a winning formula for powering tablets and smartphones, along with laptops and desktop computers.

The US software colossus focused on its core business market while unveiling an “early technical preview” of next-generation Windows software slated for release next year.

Microsoft executives said the naming decision to skip right from Windows 8 to Windows 10 was intended to reflect that the new software will be a big leap and not a small step.

While pulling back the curtain on an early technical build of Windows 10, Microsoft heralded the operating system as a blend of what was best in the previous two generations.

“This is what Windows 8 should have been,” analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley said after attending the unveiling event in San Francisco.

“Now, they have the most advanced platform to deal with a BYOD [bring your own device] world.”

An “Insider Programme” for developers who want to dabble with Windows 10 and provide feedback will kick off on Wednesday.

“Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect,” said Microsoft operating systems group executive vice president Terry Myerson.

“This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers.”

Aimed at businesses

Pressure has been on Microsoft to win over companies that have shunned the current version of Windows, which was radically overhauled to adapt to the booming popularity of computing devices with touch screen controls.

While Windows 8 was tuned into personal lifestyles rich with smartphones or tablets, it was not a hit at companies where people still work using traditional computers with keyboards and mice.

More than a year after its release in late 2012, the number of businesses using Windows 8 were vastly outnumbered by those using Windows 7 and even using the earlier Windows XP, according to market trackers.

The operating system is crafted to automatically adapt to whichever device someone is using, from Xbox consoles and desktop computes to tablets or “tiny gadgets”, according to Microsoft.

“Windows 10 will run across the broadest range of devices ever from the Internet of Things to enterprise data centres worldwide,” the US software firm promised.

Microsoft also said the coming version of Windows will provide developers a converged platform that will allow them to write a single application that can run across the array of devices powered by the software.

Windows 10 will also boast enhanced security, including separating and securing data in ways more resistant to breach or theft.

A beloved “start menu” missed by users will make a comeback, providing “quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most”, according to Microsoft.

Windows 10 is also designed to make it easier to work using multiple files or applications simultaneously.

The software can also segregate personal and work activities on mobile devices, allowing companies to wipe their information as needed but leave anything else untouched.

Windows 10 is also the first platform to aggressively handle biometrics “up through eyeball recognition”, according to Enderle.

“I had a list of things Microsoft needed to do, and they ticked off everything,” Enderle said of how Windows 10 is shaping up.

“It looks like they really hit on all the elements.”

WASHINGTON — A new battle is brewing over privacy for mobile devices, after moves by Google and Apple to toughen the encryption of their mobile devices sparked complaints from law enforcement.

The issue is part of a long-running debate over whether tech gadgets should have privacy-protecting encryption which makes it difficult for law enforcement to access in time-sensitive investigations.

FBI Director James Comey reignited the issue last week, criticising Apple and Google for new measures that keep smartphones locked down — without even the company holding the keys to unlock the data.

“What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law,” the FBI chief said, warning that law enforcement may be denied timely access, even with a warrant, in cases ranging from child kidnapping to terrorism.

Former FBI criminal division chief Ronald Hosko made a similar point in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, citing a case in which the agency used smartphone data to solve a brutal kidnapping just in time to save the life of the victim.

“Most investigations don’t rely solely on information from one source, even a smartphone,” he said. “But without each and every important piece of the investigative puzzle, criminals and those who plan acts destructive to our national security may walk free.”

Crypto Wars 2.0

Observers who follow privacy and encryption say they have seen this debate before. 

In the mid-1990s, as the Internet was gaining traction, the government pressed for access to digital “keys” to any encryption software or hardware, before abandoning what ended up being a futile effort.

“This is Crypto Wars 2.0,” says Joseph Hall of the Centre for Democracy and Technology, a digital rights group active in both campaigns.

Today, “the main difference is that phones are increasingly deeply personal, containing much more daily life and interaction than a desktop from the 1990s,” Hall said.

Hall argued that giving law enforcement access requires companies to “engineer vulnerabilities” which could be exploited by hackers or others.

“There’s no way to tell the difference between a good guy and bad guy when they walk through the back door,” he said.

Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation says the FBI has been making these arguments since 1995, with the same flawed logic.

“We’ve seen this movie before,” Cohn said.

“Regulating and controlling consumer use of encryption was a monstrous proposal officially declared in 2001,” she said in a blog post. “But like a zombie, it’s now rising from the grave, bringing the same disastrous flaws with it.”

In 2013, before the revelations of massive surveillance from leaked National Security Agency documents, the FBI called for broader authority to capture mobile communications which fall outside traditional surveillance, such as Skype and Google Hangouts.

But civil liberties activities say leaked NSA documents suggest that contrary to FBI claims made last year, the government has many tools at its disposal.

“There are an increasing number of places where we leave our digital trails,” Hall said, including in the Internet cloud, where it can be accessed with a court order.

No back doors

Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Stanford University Centre for Internet and Society, said the FBI argument overlooks the fact US tech firms must compete in the global marketplace.

“Global customers do not want backdoored products any more than Americans do, and with very good reason,” Granick writes on the “Just Security” blog.

“Authoritarian countries like Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Saudi Arabia want to censor, spy on, and control their citizens’ communications. These nations are just as able to make demands that Apple and Google decrypt devices as the FBI is, and to back up those demands with effective threats.”

On balance, she said, “the public is more secure, not less secure, with the wide use of strong cryptography — including cryptography without back doors.”

Mike Janke, chief executive of the firm Silent Circle which makes the fully encrypted Blackphone, said the FBI is making a “false cry” against Google and Apple because the law enforcement agency can easily gain access to a phone — through a carrier tap, or location tracking, for example.

Greater privacy, Janke said, comes from the harder encryption on Blackphone, but law enforcement can still track a user’s location as long as the battery is inside.

While a small number of people may use encryption for nefarious purposes, Janke said, “do you sacrifice the privacy and trade secrets of everyone else because of that?”