Apple rumoured to be making bid for Tivo

Apple is rumoured to be considering the purchase of digital video recorder company TiVo. Such speculation saw TiVo's share price rise 17 per cent yesterday. 'What we hear on the street is that Apple is interested in their business and that they are a takeout target,' analyst Steven Kroll Jr of Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co told Reuters. ...more

Support for unofficial domains set to increase

New.Net Incorporated - the company that sells unofficial domain names, such as ".tech" and ". ...more

Anti Spyware Coalition defines what it is spyware

A new industry grouping calling itself the Anti Spyware Coalition (ASC) has begun its life with an existential question: What exactly is the spyware that it is anti? The group has come up with a set of definitions that will form the basis of its activities. In its draft guidelines it has defined spyware as technologies that 'impair users' control over material changes that affect their user experience, privacy, or system security; use of their system resources, including what programs are installed on their computers; or collection, use, and distribution of their personal or otherwise sensitive information'. It has also come up with definitions for such nasties as 'adware,' 'port scanner,' and 'screen scraper'. ...more

Digital downloads stock up on Universal

Digital download day - all day, every day, but not for free OD2, the company behind the recent Digital Download Day which offered punters ?5-worth of music downloads for free, has signed a deal with Vivendi's Universal label to offer its catalogue of 50,000 songs. The deal will bring OD2's music library to 150,000 when completed later this month. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. ...more

Microsoft gives definition to virtual plans

Microsoft has used WinHEC (the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) in Seattle to flesh out its plans for virtualisation technology, including its intentions to acquire Softricity, a specialist company for application virtualisation. Bob Muglia, Microsoft's senior VP of the Server and Tools Business, has outlined Microsoft's virtualisation roadmap. Highlighted points include Windows Server virtualisation, specifically that its 'hypervisor'-based system (multiple operating systems running on the same computer) is on track to be available with the release of Microsoft Windows Server 'Longhorn'. ...more