Computer Associates accounts debacle forces more departures

The financial scandal which engulfed Computer Associates last year leads to nine more sackings yesterday. The scandal had already forced the resignation of the company's Chief Financial Officer last year. Yesterday's departures included four people from the company's legal department and five more from Finance. ...more

Record industry claims success for campaign against illegal music file sharing

European record industry bodies are claiming success in the early stages of their campaign to stop illegal music file sharing. According to a survey by the IFPI, 68 per cent of UK consumers now accept that peer-to-peer music sharing is illegal, a rise of six per cent since December. Surprisingly perhaps, 50 per cent said they would back legal action against file sharers. ...more

Microsoft's New Example for the Sci-Fi Obviousness files

In his 1994 book, "Ebert's Little Movie Glossary", where he lists lots of movie cliches, obligatory scenes, etc., one entry is well familiar to science fiction fans: UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR: Device carried by all spaceships, allowing instantaneous translation from any alien language into the local language. The most incredible thing about this device is the way it can alter any accompanying visual transmission from the aliens. ...more

AOL puts the case for Windows

An AOL executive testified today in the federal court considering the proposed remedies to the Microsoft antitrust case, outlining a range of custom PCs possible based on a stripped down Windows OS. The New York Times reports that John Borthwick, vice president for advanced services at AOL, talked up a modular version of Windows that would allow third parties to offer custom PCs such as an MTV computer aimed at teenagers, a sports PC and an AOL Time Warner computer that would showcase the company's entertainment products. A settlement that forced Microsoft to produce a bare-bones OS, to which OEMs could add the media players, browsers and so on of their choice, would level the playing field and allow rival software manufacturers to 'flourish and compete on their merits'. ...more

Microsoft plays down Sendo Smartphone snub

Microsoft has put a brave face on the very, very late switch by Sendo away from its Smartphone OS. Sendo has instead chosen to license the rival Nokia Series 60 platform, joining the ranks of Matsushita, Samsung and Siemens, as well as Nokia. The Sendo move, however, 'will not have an impact on Microsoft's ability to be successful' in this market, asserts Anne-Marie Duffy, a Mobility Marketing Manager from Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division. ...more