Microsoft launches desktop search tool

Microsoft has pronounced its Windows Desktop Search product complete and has officially launched its desktop search product. It provides a means for users to find documents and files across their hard disk or the Internet in a relatively seamless fashion. The product also attempts to take advantage of Microsoft's domination in desktop software to integrate itself with the leading office and email applications as well as other MSN services. ...more

Web logging made easy

Web logs, or blogs, may be the fastest growing area on the Web, but creating them can be a confusing and unintuitive process, particularly if you're not particularly au fait with Internet technology. Sparkpod is a new blogging tool that aims to make the process as simple as possible, and appears to succeed. Blogs are a kind of online diary or journal, a handy place to collect your musings and keep in touch with your friend and families. ...more

Real welcomes EU Microsoft decision

Real Networks has welcomed the EU's decision to force Microsoft to release a version of Windows without a bundled media player. In a statement Bob Kimball, Real's vice president and general counsel said, 'This decision is fundamentally significant because the European Commission has formally declared that Microsoft's media player bundling strategy is illegal and has established the guideposts for future bundling cases. This is the first legal review of Microsoft's media player bundling practice. ...more

EU pressures music industry to simplify online licensing

The European Union is increasing the pressure on record companies to simplify the licensing of music to online stores. As things stand, store operators such as Apple and Napster have to secure separate licensing deals for each country in which they wish to sell downloads. Naturally this has slowed the introduction of services, with only Apple established beyond the core markets in the UK, France and Germany and some services including Yahoo!'s yet to break out of the US. ...more

BT cuts prices to drive SDSL take-up

BT is to halve the connection charge for SDSL broadband services for a limited period. Between 21 October 2004 and 24 February 2005 the activation fee will be cut from ?450 to ?225. The announcement follows the doubling of the number of exchanges that can provide synchronous services, bringing the total to 300. ...more