British Library opens online newsagent

Read all about it. The nineteenth century, that is - the British Library is to make digital copies of old newspapers accessible online. The ?2m project will cover 100 years of news from titles which are out of copyright. ...more

Sony puts the AIBO in its owners lap(top)s

A good dog owner should be in full control of their pet. In this spirit, Sony is making a software development environment (SDE) available to enable programmers to have greater command of its AIBO 'entertainment robot' (the AIBO ERS-7 to give the electronic mutt its specific genus). The idea is to encourage third-party developers to create more personalised applications. ...more

Privateering proves counterfoil to pirates

Internet file sharing reduces the demand for counterfeit CDs and DVDs, according to a US academic, who believes that suing p2p users is counterproductive and can actually reduce record label and movie studio profits. Tunay Tunca, assistant professor of operations, information and technology at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, together with student Qiong Wu found that increased file sharing has reduced demand for commercially pirated products sold on the black market. They believe that a combination of sharing and 'strategic pricing' could suppress counterfeiting and increase profits. ...more

Macromedia unveils SiteSpring web collaboration tool

Macromedia is aiming to organise Web design teams with SiteSpring, a new collaboration tool due to ship later this summer. SiteSpring is a server-based tool which aids tracking projects and manages document revisions for designers and programmers. Macromedia describe it as an 'integrated business solution' designed to help manage the design, development and delivery processes in a cost-effective way. ...more

BT to scrap consumer ISDN

BT has announced that it will withdraw consumer ISDN services later this year, broadband having killed off what was once a cutting-edge technology for Internet access. The telco stopped selling its Home Highway ISDN (integrated services digital network) product in February and existing users will now have just a few months to switch to a faster ADSL broadband connection. Typically ISDN was used where broadband services were not available, though improvements over the past few years to the UK broadband footprint have gradually negated its role. ...more