Novell draws on community for SUSE 10

Novell's user-friendly Linux distro is about to be upgraded to version 10, with an emphasis on easing migration from Windows. To be precise, SUSE Linux 10.0 is created by the openSUSE project, which is an initiative sponsored by Novell, one that is intended to generally promote the use of Linux. ...more

'Government should legalise private CD copying' - report

A think tank has asked the UK government to change a 300-year-old law that would allow private copying of music and films for personal use. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says that such a move would shield those who transfer their CDs onto their iPods and other MP3 players from prosecution. In its report, Public Innovation: Intellectual property in a digital age the IPPR urges the Government to create a legal 'private right to copy' that would allow people to make copies of CDs, or DVDs for their own use. ...more

Apple applies for mouse, scroll pad patents

Apple has applied for a new patent for a 'Mouse having a rotary dial'. The patent describes a mouse where the main body is replaced by a rotating, tilting wheel, which in addition to the usual clickability, provides the ability to scroll backwards and forwards through documents. As the technoblurb introducing the application puts it, the user can manipulate the disc side to side for horizontal scrolling and backwards and forwards for vertical scrolling. ...more

UPDATED: Bulldog to launch 20Mbps broadband in the UK

Broadband supplier Bulldog Communications is planning to introduce a 20Mbps ADSL service in the third quarter of this year, CEO Richard Greco revealed to us today. It won't be the only 'broadband first' for Bulldog in 2004, as it is currently testing an 8Mbps service. The company is currently the only 6Mbps provider in the UK. ...more

European Commission tells Microsoft to reveal patented information

The European Commission has told Microsoft that it must reveal what information is protected by certain of its patents in order to comply with server interoperability requirements. Competition director general Philip Lowe told Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer at their emergency meeting earlier this week that the company must move quickly or face new fines in addition to the 497mn euros it has already had to pay. As part of the antitrust ruling last year, Microsoft must make interoperability information available to other software makers. ...more