School success in auto-SMS of snow closures

After last week's snowfall, thousands of parents across the UK were alerted to school closures by text message or automated voice call, thanks to systems that link to school databases in real time. One such system, Call Parents, sent more than 60,000 text messages and automated phone calls to parents of students at more than 700 schools after wintry weather made travel difficult. Stephen Clarke, managing director of Call Parents, said: 'Our schools appreciate the need to have a system in place for emergency contact with parents, ideal for when snow is heavy and school closures are required. ...more

Microsoft appoints Chief Security Strategist

Scott Charney, from Pricewaterhouse Coopers' Cybercrime Prevention and Response Practice, has been chosen to lead Microsoft's security efforts. With a serious CV of tackling computer crime, Charney has been welcomed as an 'essential member of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing leadership team'. He will be responsible for security strategies for software and services, and generally beefing up Microsoft's performance in this increasingly-sensitive area. ...more

Software piracy on the up

The number of illegal software copies in worldwide circulation has risen for the first time since 1994, according to a report by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). The BSA - which counts many of the major software developers amongst its members, including Apple, Adobe and Microsoft - attributes the growth in piracy to the proliferation of PCs in countries where illegal copying has traditionally been an issue. In Vietnam, for instance, 94 per cent of software is illegal, while China, India, Russia and other former USSR countries are also spotlighted by the report. ...more

AMD claims breakthroughs in transistor design

AMD has announced that it has built a high-performance transistor that is up to 30 per cent faster than the best of the current generation of PMOS (P-channel metal-oxide semiconductor) transistors. The new transistor technology is based on the process known as Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator. Although AMD is not releasing full details until June, fully depleted SOI is based on ultra thin wafers of silicon in the tens of nanometers. ...more

Nipper gets web video

HMV renews deal with Virtue Broadcasting to offer even more music webcasting from its site. The two companies have been working with each other for over a year and have decided to consolidate their partnership by signing a three-year deal. In the last year, we’ve seen exclusive webcasts from bands as varied as The Charlatans, Cold Play and Ocean Colour Scene. ...more