New Office feature could shut out Macs

A feature in the new version of Microsoft Office for Windows could prevent Mac users from being able to view some Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, as well as Outlook emails and Web content created using the Office suite. Office 2003 includes Information Rights Management technology that enables the authors of documents to restrict who can view, edit, print or copy the files. Controlling such permissions is nothing new. ...more

Zafi-B still most prevalent virus says Sophos

Zafi-B, which first surfaced in June, has been the most prevalent virus in the month of September, according to security specialists Sophos. Accounting for 30.5 per cent of incidents detected by the company, Zafi-B sits above Netsky-P (which accounts for 26. ...more

Xbox marketing extravagantly excessive

Behind every product launch is an expensive advertising campaign and there's none more expensive than the one planned for the Xbox. Microsoft is emptying the coffers in an attempt to stamp its indelible mark on the console gaming community with its PS2-busting console, the Xbox. The company is planning to spend $500m over 18 months to promote the console, which makes it the most expensive consumer product launch in history. ...more

Virtual racing beats crisis

Being a hardened gambler, I am particularly saddened to see that the current foot and mouth crisis that's gripping this fair isle has affected the sport of kings, with most racing fixtures, including the Cheltenham Festival being called off. You can imagine my relief when I heard that that the good folk at the Racing Post have thrown fans of the sport a lifeline in the shape of a series of virtual races. Today, if you visit the Racing Post site, you'll be able to watch the action from 3. ...more

Spam king wins court restraining order on anti-spam company

The self-confessed spam king Scott Richter has won a temporary restraining order against anti-spam outfit SpamCop to bar it from including it in its blacklists of known spammers used by other companies to block unwanted mail. Richter sued SpamCop - owned by IronPort systems - on 29 April on behalf of his email marketing company OptInRealBig.com. ...more