MSN added to Starbucks' blend

Will that be a high-speed connected environment with your decaff latte, sir? Starbucks and Microsoft have announced an agreement for the incorporation of MSN into the "inviting and relaxing coffeehouse experience" that is otherwise known as Starbucks. The idea is that customers, as well as checking their email, will be able to download information about local entertainment while sipping their mocchiata. MobileStar Network will provide a wireless broadband network to underpin the operations. ...more

Virus Bulletin Conference: Industry unveils unified naming for virus threats

A new initiative set up to dispel confusion over virus-naming, the Common Malware Enumeration (CME), was launched on Wednesday. The industry group, backed by a string of global security companies, aims to provide a common name for high profile threats in the hope that customers will be able to protect their computers from malware attacks more effectively. The need for a more uniform approach to virus-naming has been a long-standing issue for users. ...more

Zune hits a million - and pink is popular

Microsoft claims to have sold a million of its much-maligned Zune music player, but admits sales aren't exactly sparkling. In a low-key interview with a US newspaper, the president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, Robbie Bach, claims 'we've sold a little over a million Zunes', which he says gives it around a 10% share in hard disk music players in the US. However, Bach admits the company has a long way to go before it begins to make serious inroads into the iPod's dominance. ...more

.uk domain registrations hit 5m

In this season of drought and standpipe fears the flood of domain registrations in the UK continues unabated. According to .uk domain registry Nominet, the five millionth such domain was registered earlier this month. ...more

IDF: Intel unveils next generation desktop platform

Intel took the wraps off its future desktop PC plans on Wednesday at IDF. Central to its roadmap is the Prescott processor, set to be the successor to Pentium 4 HT Prescott will be manufactured using the 90nm process on 300mm wafers, which will allow a 50 per cent reduction in die size. Intel claims this has enough headroom for the CPU to be scaled to 4 or 5GHz, although no set timeframe was announced. ...more