UN body promises greater recognition for open source licencing

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is promising greater recognition of Free and Open Source software licensing in a bid to balance the needs of copyright owners and the public. A group of Non-Governmental Organisations led by the Consumer Project on Technology (CPTech) successfully lobbied WIPO in its 'Geneva Declaration', resulting in a 'development agenda' that includes alternatives such as the GPL. CPTech's director, James Love, said: 'For years, WIPO has pushed to expand the scope and level of intellectual property rights and told developing countries that this would help their development. ...more

Belkin goes compact with MiniWireless Optical Mouse

These days, you associate Belkin with wireless networking. But the components company has today launched a new mouse in the UK. A wireless mouse, nonetheless: the MiniWireless Optical Mouse. ...more

Sony hooks up MiniDisc Walkmans to PCs

Sony has increased the capacity of its memory-stick walkmans and made its MiniDisc players networkable in a Walkman rebranding exercise. The new MiniDisc player, called the MZ-R700PC, comes with a USB cable and PC-link converter so that MiniDisc enthusiasts can convert downloaded MP3 and WMA files into analogue and write them to MiniDisc. Meanwhile, the memory-stick and Flash Walkmans are now called Network Walkmans, though little else has changed. ...more

Microsoft gets a grip on the BIOS

Microsoft has teamed up with Phoenix Technologies to create a new generation of the PC's Basic Input Output System (BIOS). The move will give Microsoft an even tighter grip on the basic design of the PC. The companies say that the partnership will bring 'enhanced functionality' to the BIOS to increase the 'device's reliability, usability, manageability, and security'. ...more

US government faces a cyber Pearl Harbour

Or a digital Exxon Valdez. This is the warning given by a government official, concerned that the United States has to be prepared for sneak attacks from cyberspace. Richard Clarke, of the White House National Security Council, was speaking at the SafeNet 2000 summit in Redmond, an Internet security conference. ...more