Law and the desktop

Legal advice is coming to a Web site near you but, as always, it comes at a price. Today sees the launch of the lawassure.co. ...more

Cube on ice

In a terse press release, Apple has confirmed that it has suspended production of the Cube. However, the company says that "there is a small chance it will re-introduce an upgraded model of the unique computer in time". Philip Schiller, vice president of worldwide product marketing, intimated that the positioning of the Cube - somewhere between the consumer iMacs and professional Power Mac G4s - could be blamed for poor sales: "most customers decided to buy our powerful Power Mac G4 mini-towers instead". ...more

Comment: Pass the parcel

The developer companies may sell software, but the packaging that clogs our shelves is nothing more than hot air, argues Stewart Mitchell. Good things come in small packages - or so the expression goes - which would mean most of the software sold today is absolute pants. What could come in a simple hinged CD case is, instead, included in a plastic tray, a cardboard sleeve, a cardboard box and then a cellophane wrapper. ...more

Amazon admits misleading customers over Vista upgrade

Online shopping giant Amazon has admitted that it may have misled consumers into buying OEM versions of Windows XP with free upgrades to Vista, which they aren't entitled to. Last week, PC Pro revealed how angry PC owners are turning on Microsoft after their upgrade vouchers for Windows Vista were deemed ineligible. Customers who bought OEM versions of Windows XP, complete with an upgrade voucher for Vista, are being told they don't qualify for the upgrade unless the operating system was installed on a brand new machine by a system builder. ...more

Sony promises Mac and PC compatibility for the PlayStation Portable

Sony has revealed that it will provide Mac compatibility for its PlayStation Portable (PSP). Speaking in California, Yair Landau, vice chairman of Sony Pictures, said that software to plug the handheld gaming and multimedia device into Macs and PCs would be ready within a year. He also announced, not unexpectedly, that the PSP would integrate with Sony's Connect online music store. ...more