France considers opening up iTunes

France may be about to legalise the use of software that cracks DRM systems so that digital content can be converted into any format. It will also force digital music stores to offer downloads in a variety of formats to that they can be played on a variety of portable devices. The law will force Apple to loosen the restrictions on music bought through iTunes so that it is no longer restricted to the iPod. ...more

And also today (25-June-2001), for the record...

Here, in brief, are some of the day's other stories. The empire is growing You will recognise them by their collection of shiny CDs. The ranks of the AOL Internet Service (just one of the divisions of the AOL Time Warner conglomerate) have now grown, officially, to the 30 million mark. ...more

Gameplay to be sold off

Online computer games supplier Gameplay has made an announcement regarding the sale of parts of the company. This follows an initial statement in February, which said that the company was looking into restructuring its core business. A statement to the stock market said that the company was talking to third parties regarding the future of the boxed games and technology sections. ...more

VIA introduces new dual LAN mobos

VIA Technologies has launched a new series of mini-ITX mobos to be called the EPIA CL-Series. Aimed at the low-end networking or home markets, the boards feature onboard dual LAN, in a small 17 by 17 cm size. VIA says they also have applications in small network operations such as firewalls. ...more

Vodafone and Microsoft go mobile

Vodafone is on the verge of trialling mobile handsets running Microsoft Mobile Explorer. Vodafone and Microsoft have announced that they are collaborating on a project that will bring Microsoft's Outlook to businesses using mobile intranet services. Vodafone is to select which handsets will be used for the trial, and only WAP-enabled units will be supported. ...more