Ayr games counterfeiter sentenced

An Ayr has been given a 125-hour Community Service Order after being caught in his home with over 800 counterfeit Xbox and PlayStation games, as well as hundreds of copied films and TV programmes. John Hamilton, 43 and from Ayr, already had previous convictions for similar offences. He was exposed after selling copied games to an undercover investigator in an Internet forum. ...more

The price of junk mail counted in billions

The worldwide cost of junk mail is estimated to be €10bn (£6.2bn) a year, according to a recent European Commission study. The report estimates that every day approximately half a billion personalised ad mails fill up the inboxes around the world, and the figures are calculated against connection costs for the time it takes to read or delete them. ...more

Apple books biggest booth for bumper 'event'

Apple has reserved the largest booth at the PhotoPlus exhibition in New York where it has scheduled another special media event for later today. The company and the organisers are tight-lipped on the contents of Apple's stand at the three-day show. Products that may, possibly, don't quote us, be unveiled include upgraded PowerBooks and Power Macs and something photo-related. ...more

Compaq finds Microsoft's companionship

Compaq has launched a cut-down, 'free' variation of its iPaq PC. The PC-like device, which runs MSN-based software and provides access to (you guessed it) MSN Internet services, is the second such machine to come from Compaq. It joins eMachine's model, launched last month, in providing special pricing and rebates which effectively make it free. ...more

Sony plugs dual-interface DVD

Sony has announced the European release of its first dual-interface CD and DVD writer. The DRX-830UL-T is a multi-format drive that comes with both FireWire (or i.Link as Sony prefers to call it) and USB 2. ...more