Robo racers relish tough DARPA challenge

From the deserts of Primm, Nevada, five 'autonomous' ground vehicles successfully completed the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, which is five more than last year. The Intel-backed Ivy-leaguers from Stanford University scooped the $2 million prize with their robotic vehicle 'Stanley', the visual processing for which was powered by a Pentium M processor. Stanley's time to complete the course was six hours and 53 minutes, and it was followed by two of the Carnegie-Mellon University's vehicles 'Sandstorm' and 'H1ghlander', which clocked 7:04 and 7:14, respectively. ...more

Microsoft engages Juniper Networks for IPTV security

Microsoft has signed up Juniper Networks to provide greater security for its Internet-based TV platform (Microsoft TV IPTV). IPTV is a technology that allows connected users to access regular TV channels via an Internet connection both in standard and HD formats and it also supports interactive features, paid-for and on-demand services. Under the terms of the agreement, Juniper's Firewall and Firewall IDP (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) systems will complement the Microsoft offering. ...more

Web threatened with defacement on Sunday

It may be Independence Day in the States on Friday, but Sunday has apparently been declared a day for Web defacement. It seems 6 July - the end of the US holiday weekend - has been identified as the date for a hacking challenge to deface six thousand websites within six hours. A web site defacers-challenge. ...more

Linspire updates laptop-friendly Linux system

Linspire has announced version 5.0 of its Linux operating system. Like the latest batch of releases, 5. ...more

New Media New Charity

In terms of charity, we British are not as generous with our donations as we sometimes like to think, being left well behind in the giving-stakes by our more charitable American cousins, for example. But new research suggests this may change. We often run stories that show the Net in its darker and stranger form, so we are more than happy to balance the picture with a more positive report of online behaviour - the emergence through the Internet of "young and well-informed" donors. ...more