A third way for the NET?

A new PPP for the Internet? Net chief calls for public-private partnership for managing the Internet. Stuart Lynn - president of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) - has proposed reform of the three-year-old body that replaced previous US government control of the Internet. He speaks of ICANN's mission as being 'incredibly ambitious' - the hope was to have a private body that would be nimble enough to react to the fast changing world of the Net. ...more

IT Forum 2004: Windows Update Services goes into public beta

Microsoft is in the process of changing the way its software updates can be automatically loaded - Windows Update Services (WUS) has gone into public beta. The new update services enables IT admins to mediate which updates from Microsoft will be available to end users (whether they are originally Windows updates, office updates or releases from the download centre). It may be appropriate, for example, for one set of end-users to receive an update but for another set to be exempt. ...more

802.11i ratified for wireless network security

The IEEE group has ratified a new standard for security across wireless networks. The 802.11i standard adds industry standard security features to wireless networks such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which has been approved for the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS). ...more

Computing golf club specifications

Pervasive computing now includes the world of golf, following collaboration between IBM and golfing equipment specialists Callaway Golf. A new computer program - the Callaway Golf Custom Fitting Solution - will apparently be powered by ThinkPad T21 Series notebooks. For special fitting sessions, it will let golfers record information about their swing, such as potential ball speed and club-head speed, and will then generate feedback on which club specifications would be best suited. ...more

South Park gets high-res makeover for Xbox 360

The distinctly low-res cartoon South Park will get its first high-def treatment via HD DVD. Comedy Central and Microsoft have announced that from today, Xbox Live members will be able to download the high-definition episode Good Times With Weapons from the Xbox Live Marketplace. It will be freely available for a fortnight only, as taster for the 11th season of South Park that is beginning in the States tomorrow. ...more