11/06/2011 Click

The headlines: Opposition groups in Syria say that the security forces

have opened fire one anti- government demonstrations across

the country including the capital Damascus. At least 28 people are

reported to have been killed. Syrian TV said the government

forces had been attacked by what it called well-armed terrorist groups.

The main rebel held city in western Libya, Misrata, has come under a

renewed artillery barrage by Colonel Gaddafi's troops. At least

42 have been killed and more than 60 wounded. Doctors said there was

no sign of NATO warplanes. The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has

strongly is criticised America's European allies over their lack of

commitment to military operations in Libya and Afghanistan. In his

last major speech before he retires later this month, he said some NATO

countries like political will. And government officials have made what

companies, farmers and environmental groups to discuss the

impact of one of the dry air springs on record. A drought has

officially been declared in East Anglia and past of the South West,

South East, the Midlands and Wales are also suffering from low water

levels. The meeting in London considered measures to save water

in the short-term and rations applies in the future. Now let's

look at what is making the paper's front pages. The Daily Telegraph

leads with more revelations from leaked documents. These ones

alleging that Ed Balls and Gordon Brown ignored Civil Service

warnings about excessive government spending back in 2006. Mr Ball says

that the accusations are not substantiated by the documents. Ed

Balls finds himself on another cover, playing cricket for

Parliament against the MCC. The lead story is a interview with the

chairman of the disability charity Scope. Another lead story in the

government -- the Guardian, the paper has obtained the speech David

Miliband would have given it the one the Labour Party leadership

battle. It would have mourned about the problems of the budget deficit.

-- warned. The Independent leads on Syria, with more detail on the

crackdowns. The FT also goes with the problems on the international

stage. A warning from the outgoing US Defence Secretary that European

countries must do more to shoulder the burden of security around the

Continent if Major is to survive. The Daily Mail's focus is very much

at home. It says ministers have abandoned plans to force councils

to reinstate weekly been collections for 10 million

households. Now it is time for Click. This show uses every gimmick

in the book to grab your attention. Even while you're parking your car

before you get to the show. I will head on over in a minute. Welcome

to Click. For many people, video games have become mainstream

entertainment, taking their place alongside navies and television as

a way of getting really excited, or chilling out. So it is no surprise

that the annual video games extravaganza takes place just down

the road from Hollywood. This is downtown Los Angeles. And this is E

three. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is the launch pad for all of

the call new games and hot new hardware. This week, we will get up

close and personal with Microsoft's are graded Controller, Sony's new

PlayStation and Nintendo's bizarrely named knew we mac. Abbey

is going to be put out of business by these? We will examine the rise

and rise of mobile phone Games. All that plus the latest technology

news and the greatest weight is the big events from any angle. There is

a lot of money sloshing around the video games industry and a lot of

red slashes into gear and the enormous enormous -- and almost

noisy displays that they have here and the big events thrown by the

major players in the industry. In the past they have wheeled out a

list made the stars and even the remaining Beatles. It is almost

like they are worried that the hardware and the games themselves

are not exciting themselves. We have had the unenviable task of

coming through the show this to get to the real stories. Here in the

big announcements from the Siposs show. E three, gives the industry

heavy you there's the chance to show off their latest digital

delights the console and PC. -- heavy hitters. Every few years, a

new side Colwell be announced to the -- console will be announced

with the kind of them they usually reserve there were Royal weddings.

This year there are two Madni heart wears on the horizon. The device is

called a -- causing the most fuss is the successor to the Nintendo

Wii. It is currently the number one seller in the world and Kent

Nintendo a repeat that success with its latest offering? It is

infinitely complex and yet perfectly simple all at the same

time. It can change the way that you gain a personally and it can

change the way that you interact with your family and friends.

not know about that. At first glance, that control looks like the

result of a fling between a tableau device and a joy pad. And it has

many features of a tablet as well, the feature of a touch screen, Mo

share and sensing and cameras the video calling. Those sticks Sherry

the gaming rooms. It is also a backwards compatible with the

Nintendo Wii in all of its peripheral. But this will be

capable of high-definition visuals. Gains were available to play on the

show for and they indicated the capabilities of the machine. Most

resolved around multi-player many games which were fine is a little

bit too cutesy. But, while Nintendo's designers have clearly

been enjoying their new toys, what will the vast majority of third

party games designers think of it? It takes time to put the quality of

the concept in. We probably had a little bit of a head start when we

were looking at it, developing the hardware. But with this new

controller, we have been talking to a lot of the developers early and

they are really excited about what they can do. Recently, Nintendo

would support the third party, people have said that the first

part the title seemed to be a bit strong up. But the last few

generations, we have been getting more and more support from third

party because of what we can offer them as Miras developing really

interesting concepts. The second new piece of hardware comes

courtesy of Sony, with its new head held PlayStation. Announced earlier

this year, exports front and rear touch screens. And there will be

why fire only and 3G versions. An impressive technical line-up. But

will it be enough to fend off the relentless assault of smart phones

on the hand held gaming sector? Of course, the biggest story at Sony

was not its new hand-held. We have to talk about security. After 100

million people have lost their data as a result of the PlayStation

Edberg being mad, what can Steny do to re- install convincing

consumers? First, I think that the most important thing is to make

sure that our network systems are so cure. - both in terms of the new

Data Centre, that will enable a bow services do, as well as additional

firewalls and other security measures that we have put in place.

Also a year in the United States and countries where the services

are available, we have put in a new programme where the consumers can

sign up for a programme where Yves their data, their personal data, is

misused, then there is an insurance in place where we will make sure

that the consumers are protected from any misuse of their

information. We had made the announcement about the insurance

and the fat with the credit-card information - we do not know for a

fact that any credit card information was taken. But in the

abundance of safety, we wanted to make share -- sure that we shared

that as a potential possibility. Also with regard to the 100 million

accounts, we do know that the information was access. We do not

know what part of the 100 million Accounts were actually taken from

our service. For example, it might be 100.000.001st names, it might be

100 million last four digits of phone number, it could be the one

man -- entire account information, we just do not know. The people

intruding our systems were very good at hiding their tracks as they

left assistance. So we may not know for a very long time, or never know.

As the only major console player at the conference without our way to

show, Microsoft relied on a slew of new games for its motion control

system. Wielding an imaginary light sabre and invoking the power of the

force seems to be the order of the day for Star Wars. While another

game sees a player riding a horse in between bouts a spell casting.

There are new additions to the world of motion tracking tricks,

with scanning faces and clothes as well as object recognition. While

these experiences are fine, they are a little bit slight. But the

most interesting thing about them if they now indicate what this

system is now capable of. As well as making me look good. The boys'

recognition abilities have now been paid with Microsoft's Been said

tools, to allow the user to search for entertainment content and

strain it into their 360. So the Connect is helping keep the console

fresh. But in the face of the innovative competition from

Nintendo, how long will this be connected with the XBox 360?

have had millions XBox are sold an we all have our biggest he ever and

we have shown that we are growing at a faster rate than any of our

competitors. I think that we have got here is out him from us. Sir,

Nintendo tries to redefine the home console. Sony, redefine the hand

console and Microsoft read bits its wars. As usual, Apple do not play

with anyone else say they have been having their own shindig a few

hundred miles in that direction. Here are the big announcements from

the Apple event plus the be technology stories making headlines

this week. Apple's share of new operating software they anything

beginning with I. A'sOh West brings more than 250 new features,

including full screen adds that can be swapped between and a range of

the multi- Taj and gestures. IPad and iPhone users will get I l s

five this autumn, featuring Andre black notifications, blackberry

messaging and their integration with Twitter. And mobile many bites

the dust to be replaced by an online storage service called I

cloud. It will back up and send data across all Apple devices while

asleep. The UN has declared that access to the internet is now a

fundamental human right. It has urged governments to make universal

access a priority, saying that the internet has combat inequality and

accelerated development and human progress. The report also

criticised moves Saad says those by France, Britain and New Zealand,

will automatically disconnect use is suspected of repeatedly

downloading copyrighted material illegally. It says that such

punishments should be decided by the courts. The Facebook admits

that it could have handled the roll-out of an aldermanic face

recognition system that after year it was accused of Wylie switching

it on across its network. The feature automatically spots beaches

in friends photos to encourage more tagging. Apart from issuing a

notice last December saying that trials would be carried out in

America, no-one noticed -- was told earlier this week when it was

switched on globally nor told how to Lockett out if they do not want

to be recognised by the software. Sire much of a three-year the last

these has been dedicated to the big game in consols. It is important

not to forget the handbells, like Nintendo's DS and Sony's

incarnations of these devices roll- out, they face stiff competition

from something that you have had in your pocket for years. The ever

more capable computer in your pocket is of course a games machine

as well. The application stores by his thousands of games, all

available to download for a couple of pounds or even free.

Considerably less than a 20 pound gained for a dedicated gaming

console. There are also many more smart phones and they are hand-held

games machines. 300 million handholds sold last year, against

just 27 million PlayStation personals and DS. It is estimated

that the number of games downloaded to find is dwarfed the number of

games played on traditional machines. In a certain light, that

makes the smart phone by far the world's biggest gaming platform and

it is certainly something that Apple claimed that its developer

conference his way. Then there are the tablets, offering the user a

bigger screen and a better processor on which to play these

games. So, as any releases the PlayStation in the dark in hope of

reviving its flagging fortunes and Nintendo's three DS suffers from

worse-than-expected sales, are the gaming giants doing enough from the

rise and rise of games on phones. Even Sony is arguably hedging its

bets. The Sony Ericsson play fine being the first to be PlayStation

certified, meaning that although it is and enjoy device, known as can

lead to the PlayStation sweet and With me is the President of the

eight games. It sounds like mobile phone games are Killeen the

traditional hand-held games? It is hurting the business but growing

the overall opportunity for games. We used to talk about a few hundred

million users but with mobile phones we are talking about

billions of consumers. Overall it is a plus for the industry.

there a difference between the type of game proving popular on phones

to that on the more powerful devices as they stand? If you look

at them in terms of their life cycle. Smart phones are fairly new

to gaining. You see more straightforward designs but they

are becoming increasingly complex as customers on phones want deeper

and more complex experiences. We will be able to pull out great

experiences that we could not have imagined a few years ago. Changing

the subject, the a has talked about the fact that it wants to move to

distributing games by download alone. You want to get rid of

buying this, taking it home and storing it on the machine. Talk us

through how that will work and how popular you think that will be.

is hugely popular. We are talking about 1.5 billion customers

worldwide. To reach them directly and provide games on a one-on-one

relationship is what we are wanting to do. Do you need the internet

infrastructure around the world? Because these games a huge, aren't

they? You tailor the games and make them smaller for emerging markets.

We made a small game and it is the number one in Russia and Brazil. So

you tailor the game for the local conditions. But to be able to reach

that mark good for the first time is what is exciting for us. He

changed the design and the technology a bit. If you allow

people to download games, it increases the chance of piracy

because you can intercept the download, there is no physical disk

that you need and then you can just torrent that 2 million of your

closest friends. A great question. That is what killed the music and

film of business online. In games, we do not have that problem. He

still have to connect to our server. If you have a pirated copy, it will

not play. So it allows us to manage the process we want to connect to

our services because that is what the larger community is playing and

you can get at it. So we are unique and very different to music and

film. Piracy is something we can manage. Thank you. Your thoughts

would be welcome on our website or you can tweak us.

And some of the more oddball things on display this year.

There are plenty of emphasis on the visual side of things but let's not

forget the audio side of gaming as well. We have this little gadget

that plugs into your console or PC via USB and you can customise the

options to give you far better sound than you already have. With

an interface like this, you can adjust the base or treble or give

yourself a virtual surround-sound which will improve that gaining

experience. Gamers often wear headsets with built-in microphones

but Sarah is sporting a microphone that takes its vibrations from the

larynx so it offers clear sound. It is used by the military. Microsoft

Connect may be the fastest-selling consumer electronics device of all

time but you need a big play area to use it. This little device may

help. Euclid it onto the front and it widens the field of view which

means you can steer it -- stand further from your opponent and

television. This avoids a smashing the small child next year. Hard

gamers often go on about that more immersing experience and I think I

might have found something. This is a curved screen on a portable frame.

You can see just how immerse it you can get in the game. You have one

or two projections and a some software doing some distortion and

then you simply play away. You really do feel like you are in

again. At $2,500, it is not cheap. You will have to leave me to it for

now. The trouble with Peter events like

e three is that you cannot be everywhere at once. -- big events.

If you have enough people you can cover every angle. Even if you do

not know who the people are. Social networks are all about

connecting with people, even if they do go to LA Without You. But

with colour, a free application for the iPhone with an android version

imminent, it is about connecting with people in your immediate

proximity, sharing photos, video and tat in real time to give you a

unique and multi-faceted view of an event. -- chat. It seems like his

world and his mother want to go social at the moment and I am not

sure we need to many more places to Network online. However, this

application of this will benefit for things like music festivals,

parties and large events so you can capture a moment of your camera

from dozens of different angles and perspectives. It is hard to imagine

the power of this application when using it on your own. In April they

showcased at a film premiere in Manhattan where 49 people took

nearly 800 photographs from every angle of the red carpet. You can

see the end result on their website. With pre-launch funding reportedly

at a mind-blowing $41 million, it is no surprise that out -- the

application looks and feels well made. Let's hope it lives up to the

hype when more people climb on board to create the critical mass.

So what is the value of your social network? Empire Avenue .com can

help to answer that question as you trade a virtual currency for shares

in a person or company social media profile. And add value to your

profile by engaging with all of your network through sites like

Facebook, Twitter, U Jupe mac and flicker. -- YouTube. This game is

in a similar vein to the BBC's Auld website. So I wonder about the

longevity of the content. It is good you are not limited to

celebrities, you can buy shares etc. All it needs is a social media

profile. There are business implications for aside like this if

that takes off. Away for plans to connect with interested audiences.

And the icing on this social media cupcake is the chattel so you can

compare notes with other people on the website on live chat. You can

find a useful beginner's guide on how to play.

Life is a journey and if you want to share that trip, here is an

interesting new addition to the internet. This free Flash based

social talk led to add video, pictures, notes, social media,

feeds and more to any day in the calendar. All wrapped up in a new

interface that is nicely customise a bull. Even if you do not want to

share your journey with the rest of the world, this is a great place to

make a personal journal so you can keep those treasured memories safe

and lobbying from any browser when you want to relive them. -- log in.

Link with other social media accounts. This strikes me as a

meter which alternative to the classic diary. Make sure you set

your privacy levels appropriately if you do not want your siblings

reading it. Sometimes your friends go on more

interesting travels than you. That was demonstrated when my colleague

went to Los Angeles this week. But you can follow their exploits with

a Facebook plug-in that uses the travel resources built into the

social network to extract albums from various locations, all wrapped

up in a nice simple interface. And I am so jealous of my niece's

recent visit to my mother's house. I deserve a weekend break as well.

And that's it for Click. You will find more technology news on our

website. Along with a lead to the radio pod cast. On this week's show,

the team take a look at the implication of the UN's declaration

that access to the internet should be considered a human right. Get in

touch and e-mail us or find us on Twitter. Thank you ball-watching

and see you next time. -- for and see you next time. -- for

Good morning. We will keep the unsettled weather over the weekend.

Today will be a case of sunshine and showers. Sunday will see more

persistent rain spreading in from the south. And staying of cool over

the course of the weekend. It call- back start of a morning with

temperatures down to about four degrees. A lot of sunshine around

with one or two showers. A few showers in the South East we're --

South East Midlands but northern England should be mostly dry. For

eastern Scotland, a fair amount of cloud with some showery outbreaks

of rain. Showers in Scotland, brushing the north coast of

Northern Ireland. For the most it will be dry with some bright spells.

Sunny spells for most of Wales as well. Showers hugging the coastline.

Temperatures in Swansea and Cardiff about 10 or 11 degrees. Similar

conditions in the south-west of England. A few showers in Cornwall

but for Devon and southern areas of England it should be dry and very

bright. A few showers lingering on the south-east of England. For the

rest of the day, showers in the south-east continue. A scattering

of showers developing right across the UK. More significant and

persistent for Scotland. Some heavy showers for the south of Scotland,

the north-east of England and temperatures on the cool side at

15-18 degrees. One or two showers continuing for the evening in

north-east England. The rain continues in Scotland and gathers

towards the south and west. If you have any outdoor plants on Sunday,

there may be rain. For the drought restricted areas this will be good

news. About 10-50 millimetres in eastern parts of the UK. That rain

will gradually spread through the south-west. -- 10-15. The heaviest