Get Visual Studio, get Pocket PC free

Twenty-five thousand PocketPCs are up for grabs with the forthcoming of Visual Studio.Net 2003, Microsoft's development environment. Visual Studio. ...more

Spring IDF 2006: So, what is Viiv technology?

Don MacDonald, general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group, spent 30 minutes extolling his vision of Intel's Viiv technology at this spring's IDF, but there was one question he chose not to address directly: what, exactly, is Viiv technology? After all, Dixons salespeople around the country are even now standing in front of a bright, shiny Sony VAIO PC with a Viiv badge and being asked that same question. 'Viiv is the best consumer PC on the market, it allows you to acquire, manage and enjoy your content in ways that you couldn't do previously with other CE devices,' was Don MacDonald's reply when we asked him to explain Viiv technology in 20 words or less (for the record, that's 30 words). Fair enough, but is that explanation really enough to convince a potential buyer? So, we'll have a go at answering on his behalf. ...more

California stands firm against spam

A state appeals court panel in California has ruled that people should have legal protection against 'deceptive unsolicited commercial e-mail'. Two Californian companies that were originally charged with 'spamming' claimed the 1998 laws regarding the commercial use of e-mail were unconstitutional - that they interfered with inter-state commerce - and this was later upheld by a San Francisco Superior Court judge in 2000. This has now been reversed. ...more

Draft report on Carnivore snooping system is itself sniped

The Illinois Institute of Technology has released its draft report on the FBI's Carnivore e-mail monitoring system. While the report calls for some fine-tuning - for better protection of routine online communications from interception - it generally gives a seal of approval to the system. Reuters quotes the report as evaluating Carnivore to be "more effective in protecting privacy and enabling lawful surveillance" than alternatives. ...more

Compaq make cuts in Scotland

Scotland has been hit with news of job cuts by one of the major PC builders. Seven hundred jobs will be lost from the Compaq assembly plant in Erskine, the company announced yesterday. Another plant, in Ayr, will remain in operation, however. ...more