HTC's handheld camera poses challenge to GoPro

HTC has announced a waterproof, wide-angled digital camera, the RE, capable of taking still photographs and videos.

The RE's cylindrical design includes a sensor that automatically turns the device on when it is picked up and only two button controls.

An app lets wirelessly connected smartphones and tablets stream the footage live and play it back later.

Experts said the device would compete with GoPro's products, but that it compared unfavourably to them.

The RE is 9.7cm (3.8in) tall and weighs 65.5g (2.3oz), making it lighter but taller than GoPro's cameras

However, HTC suggested its gadget had the potential to "change the face of mobile photography".

"Combining incredible hardware with unrivalled software, HTC is reinventing the way we think about imaging," said the Taiwanese firm's chief executive Peter Chou.

"We are taking you out from behind the viewfinder and putting you back where you belong, at the heart of the action."

The company also unveiled an Android smartphone with 13 megapixel (MP) front and rear cameras at a New York launch event.

HTC recently reported net income of $640m New Taiwan Dollars ($21m; £13m) for its last quarter, reversing a loss from the previous year. However, its sales were lower.

Tyupkin cash machine hack 'dispenses wads'

A flaw in cash machines that allows criminals to quickly steal wads of cash has been discovered.

Interpol has alerted countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia known to have been targeted - and is carrying out a widespread investigation.

Security firm Kaspersky Labs discovered the hack, which is enabled by entering a series of digits on the keypad.

Infected cash machines can be instructed to dispense 40 notes at once, without a credit or debit card.

Prior to trying to obtain the cash, targeted machines are infected with malicious software via a boot CD.

To do this, criminals need physical access to the workings of the machine.

Once the malware - known as Tyupkin - has been installed, the "mule" sent to collect the cash must enter a code on the machine's key pad.

But Tyupkin then requires a second unique code - randomly generated by an algorithm at a remote location - to unlock the machine and dispense the cash.

It is this part of the process that ensures the criminal who has this algorithm retains control over when and how often these illegal withdrawals occur.

'Known security weaknesses'

"Over the last few years, we have observed a major upswing in ATM attacks using skimming devices and malicious software," said Vicente Diaz, principal security researcher at Kaspersky.

"Now we are seeing the natural evolution of this threat with cybercriminals moving up the chain and targeting financial institutions directly."

Kaspersky carried out its initial investigation at the "request of a financial institution" - although it would not say which.

The attack does not affect individual customers, instead simply instructing the machine to dispense notes, with no link to bank accounts.

Facebook App To Allow Users To Send Cash

Facebook is set to allow friends to send each other money using its Messenger smartphone app, it has been revealed.The feature - which is yet to be activated - was discovered by Stanford computer science student Andrew Aude with the help of app exploration developer tool Cycript.

The option lets users "attach" cash to a message in the same way they would typically attach a photo.The app uses any card details registered with Facebook by default, or they can add a separate card.

Facebook could charge a small fee for money transfers if it wanted to make money from the app.Alternatively, offering it as a free feature could be a way of driving new users to the software.

Earlier this year Facebook poached former PayPal president David Marcus.Clues hinting at payment capabilities in the app were first discovered by security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski last month.

The demonstration by Andrew Aude shows that users will be able to hit a button to initiate a payment, enter an amount, then hit send.The transaction is private and details of it are not published to the news feed.In April Facebook pulled the chat feature from its main app, and told users to download the Facebook Messenger app to continue using the feature.

Hewlett-Packard Breaks Into Two Units to Stay Competitive

Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) is splitting into two companies, using a breakup to become nimbler after failing to keep up with the shift away from the printing and personal-computing businesses it pioneered.

Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman will lead Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, a new company focusing on corporate hardware and services, while Dion Weisler, the vice president in charge of personal-computer and printer operations, will become CEO of that business, called HP Inc., Hewlett-Packard said in a statement today.

Whitman is reversing an earlier position that the company should remain a single enterprise. When she took the helm in September 2011, as the fourth CEO in 2 1/2 years, she ended plans by her predecessor to spin off the PC unit. Hewlett-Packard, which had set the pace in computers for decades, had embarked on a rapid expansion plan through acquisitions -- some of them controversial -- followed by tumultuous years of strategy shifts, cost cutting and reduced profit targets. Now Whitman is pursuing the kind of spinoff plan that’s gathering steam at other technology companies.

EasyJet Helped By Lengthy Air France Strike

EasyJet has lifted its annual profit forecast, as a result of lower fuel costs and a lengthy strike at competitor Air France-KLM.

The budget carrier said its full-year pre-tax profit is now expected to be around £577.5m, up from guidance given during July's third quarter of around £557.5m.

The new full-year estimate is above analysts' expectations.

"EasyJet has continued to execute its strategy," chief executive Carolyn McCall said.

"This has enabled easyJet to deliver record profits for the fourth year in a row."

The company now intends to reward shareholders as a result.

"This will also lead to our largest every ordinary dividend payment as we are also proposing to increase the proportion of our profits after tax paid in dividends from 33% to 40%," Ms McCall said.

EasyJet said it expect the two-week strike by Air France in Septemberwould add around £5m to its revenue.

The strike cost easyJet's rival hundreds of million of euros in lost revenue.

The travel industry has long been squeezed by rising fuel costs, however in recent months benefits have been seen.

Crude oil prices have dropped around 20% since June, which has helped those with shorter hedging strategies.

On Thursday, Tui Travel cited dropping fuel prices as a factor in its improved results.

Life At Apple 'Like Working In Nuclear Plant'!

One former manager says staff are on call 24 hours a day and barely have time to speak to their families even when at home.

Two former Apple managers have described the pressure cooker atmosphere of working for the technology giant.

Ex-employees Don Melton and Nitin Ganatra told a tech podcast that staff are expected to be permanently on call - even receiving emails from executives in the middle of the night.

"It's a lot like working in a nuclear power plant, but you don't get one of those protective suits," Mr Melton said.

"It's a lot of radiation and you either learn to survive it or you die."

He said Sunday is a work night for everybody at Apple because the executive meeting takes place the next day.

"So you had your phone out there, you were sitting in front of your computer, it didn't matter if your favourite show was on.

Former Apple executive Scott Forstall

"This was especially worse after The Sopranos ended because for a while there, you could count on the hour that The Sopranos was on that (former Apple executive) Scott Forstall wouldn't bug you because he was watching The Sopranos. And that was your reprieve.

"You could go to the bathroom, you could have a conversation with your family, you know, whatever. But after that ..."

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    Gallery: Apple Blunders Pile Up

    It has been a difficult week for Apple after the hugely successful launch of the iPhone 6, with a number of flaws exposed in its products

He also touched on the chief executive Tim Cook's notorious working hours.

"When you hear the so-called apocryphal stories about Tim Cook coming to work in the wee hours and staying late, it's not just some PR person telling you stories to make you think that Apple executives work really hard like that. They really do that.

"I mean, these people are nuts. They're just, they are there all the time."

He also revealed his advice to wannabe managers: "When someone came into my office and said they want to be a manager, I asked them 'How did you sleep last night?'

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   Gallery: Fans Queue For New iPhone

   Eager Apple fans around the world have been queuing up to buy the new iPhone 6. A man wearing a mask depicting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of the phone as he walks into the Apple store in Tokyo
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    Gallery: Fans Queue For New iPhone

    Eager Apple fans around the world have been queuing up to buy the new iPhone 6. A man wearing a mask depicting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of the phone as he walks into the Apple store in Tokyo

“And they said 'Oh, fairly well' and I said 'Good, because that's the last good night's sleep you’re going to get'."

Meanwhile Nitin Ganatra described how he viewed himself as a "slacker" for only checking emails four times a day while on vacation.

Despite the long hours, the most senior employees at Apple earn large amounts of money. In 2013 Tim Cook earned $74m (£46m) in salary and stock options.

US unemployment rate hit a six-year low in September

The US unemployment rate dipped to 5.9% in September, a six-year low, official figures have shown.

The rate fell from 6.1% in August and is the lowest recorded since July 2008.

US Labor Department also said that employers added 248,000 jobs last month, and the job growth figures for August and July were revised upwards.

The jobs figures are seen as a significant gauge of the health of the economy and there has been much debate over when US interest rates will rise.

The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates close to zero since the financial crisis in 2008.

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US markets cheered the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising over 100 points.

The US dollar was pushed higher as expectations rose that interest rates would go up sooner than previously predicted.