Yahoo sued over 'defamatory' statements on its messageboards

A lawyer has sued US internet portal Yahoo for not revealing the identity of messageboard users that left abusive messages. Californian insurance specialist Stephen Galton said he was subjected to a 'barrage of harassing, defamatory and abusive messages' after posting a message defending one of his clients on a Yahoo-run forum. According to Reuters, he registered his own name on the messageboards and following his posting defending his client - who wasn't identified in the suit - was the target of messages such as being described as 'overly robust geezer that makes a living walking behind the elephant with a shovel'. ...more

Latest Netsky points to new author using source code

Netsky-L could be the first evidence we have that the author has posted the code for the worm on the Web. Contained within NetSky-K was text indicating that this was to be the author's last and that the source code would be made available to all. It read: 'We want to destroy malware writers business, including MyDoom and Bagle. ...more

Microsoft buys SCO Unix licence

IP-wielding SCO has found a friendly ear with Microsoft, as it upsets the Linux community. Microsoft has obligingly agreed to license SCO's Unix patents and source code that lies at the heart of SCO's $1bn suit against IBM. Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft said that 'the announcement of this license is representative of Microsoft's ongoing commitment to respecting intellectual property (IP) and the IT community's healthy exchange of IP through licensing. ...more

Next-gen Palm platform split on devices

PalmSource has hinted that the next version of its operating system may have separate interfaces for smartphones and PDAs. Palm OS is currently being rebuilt using Linux and codenamed the Access Linux Platform (ALP) after PalmSource's new owner, Japan-based Access. It will feature a new system for handling the user interface known as MAX. ...more

Microsoft announces pedal power for Windows

At Microsoft's sixth annual Research TechFest show, the company unveiled the Step User Interface, allowing users to interact with Windows using their feet Using the kind of dance mats sold for use with computer and console games, researchers Brian Meyers, A.J. Brush, Steven Drucker and Marc Smith reprogrammed the touch-sensitive pads to trigger many of the repetitive tasks faced by office workers each day. ...more